The Eye of the Storm
by Pixiedust5
Summary: An old friend of the newsies is back and brings many changes with her~ my first fic posted~please tell me what you think and if you want to read more
1. Chapter 1: Return

Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own the newsies, except maybe in my dreams! I own Trouble, Storm, and any other characters you don't recognize.  
  
The Eye of the Storm By pixiedust  
  
The old door creaked as it was slowly pushed open and the old man at the counter looked up to see who was there. To his surprise there stood a face that he hadn't seen in just about a year.  
  
"What are youse doin' back? Jack said ya weren't comin' back." This brought a smile to the girl's face.  
  
"I wasn't gonna come back. But I missed y'all too much," she replied. "So whe'ah's awll a da boys?"  
  
"At Medda's."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"So why didja leave?" the old man asked  
  
"I hadta get away. I was awll to much," she said, not referring to any event in particular, just her life in the busy city in general.  
  
"The boys should be home soon," he said  
  
"Ok, I'm gonna put my stuff upstairs." She had just gotten to the bottom of the stairs when she heard a large commotion outside. 'They must be home' she thought as she remembered all of her friends that she had left behind in the bustling city.  
  
"Aw man, was dat a great show or what!" she heard the familiar voice of Racetrack exclaim, greeted by shouts of agreement, making her smile.  
  
"Aw pipe down fellas, awll da younga' boys' tryin' ta sleep," Jack said and, as he turned to head up the stairs to the bunkroom, stopped short when he saw the familiar face before him.  
  
"Trouble, what a youse doin heah?" he asked still shocked to see her there.  
  
"Trouble?" her name echoed among the shocked newsies.  
  
"Heya boys, didja miss me?" she asked, trying to lighten the now tense mood.  
  
"A coise we missed ya, but why didja leave in da foist place?" Kid Blink asked with a sad, betrayed look on his face.  
  
"It was awll juss to much. I hadta get away frum it awll," she replied, avoiding the eyes of all her old friends peering anxiously at her.  
  
"Awll a whah?" Racetrack asked, slinging his arm around her shoulder  
  
"Ya knows, Storm was getting' ta be to much an' den dat whole problem wid Spot an' I dunno, I needed ta get away an' try an' sort it awll out."  
  
"Ya know we woulda helped ya wid Spot. 'Sides he wouldn't a hoit youse anyways," Jack said, referring to the fierce leader of the Brooklyn newsies who was angry at Trouble after finding her with one of his newsies a day or two after him and Trouble had broken up. That had caused a problem for him, especially after he had walked in on the two of them doing very inappropriate things. So Spot and Storm had gotten into a big fight and Trouble had blown up and called Spot an overbearing ass and the two of them weren't speaking. Then to make matters worse Strom and Trouble had been fighting all the time, which totally wore her out and she realized that it wasn't worth it, broken up with him, and after talking to Jack, hopped the next train out of Manhattan.  
  
"Jack, ya knows dat I hadta," Trouble said. Then Kloppman appeared and shooed them all up to bed.  
  
"Da bed next ta me, undah Mush is free if ya wan' it," Race said  
  
"Soah, dat was me old bunk anyways," she said smiling at her friend as he gave her a goodnight hug. 


	2. Chapter 2: A Surprise and Spot

The Eye of the Storm by pixiedust Chapter 2  
  
The next morning, as Kloppman was waking up all the newsies, a thought popped into Trouble's head, a very unusual thing to happen in the morning since she had trouble functioning before at least 8 o'clock.  
  
"Heya Jack?" she asked as they headed to the Distribution Center  
  
"Yea?"  
  
"Ya don't mind if a friend a' mine stays wid us fer a lil' while do ya?"  
  
"Nah, when's he comin'?"  
  
"SHE should be heah in a week or two," Trouble said as she headed off to rescue her hat from Mush, who had stolen it off of her head.  
  
The next week passed by quickly as Trouble spent time catching up with her old friends in Manhattan. Then two days before Trouble's mysterious friend was supposed to arrive Jack decided that he and some of the boys should take Trouble to Brooklyn to see Spot. Spot and Trouble had been good friends before they had decided to go out, but that was the first decision that the two made that destroyed their friendship.  
  
As Jack, Trouble, Mush, Kid, and Race entered the streets of Brooklyn Jack suddenly took a turn that was different from their usual route. Race was standing on one side of Trouble and noticed her suddenly tense up as they headed down one of the street.  
  
"Is anytin' wrong Troub?" he asked her concerned.  
  
"Wah? I'm fine," she insisted giving him a weak smile  
  
"Soah wha'eva youse say." Blink, who also seemed tense, whispered in her ear, "Deys lawng gone, an I won't let 'em hoit youse again." And then the docks where Spot and his newsies hung out came into view.  
  
"Heya Spot!" Jack said spitting in his hand and offering it to Spot, who did the same.  
  
"Heya Jacky-boy," he replied and as he saw Trouble remarked, "Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in."  
  
"Heya Spot. How ya been?" she said with a smirk on her face.  
  
"Not dat youse really care, I'se fine."  
  
"That's nice. Ya right, I don't really care."  
  
"I see dat youse haven't changed a bit. Ya still a smaht-ass."  
  
"An' youse still a stubborn ass."  
  
"A' coise."  
  
"Alright youse two behave yaselves," Jack said stepping in-between the two.  
  
"Can we go? I suddenly tink dat dis was a bad idea. No, wait a minute, I thought it was a bad idea frum da staht," Trouble said glaring at Spot and Jack.  
  
"Listen, Jacky-boy. If youse wanna stay heah, we'se'll take her back," Blink said, seeing that Jack looked like he didn't want to leave, Spot and Trouble looked ready to kill each other, and that Mush and Race were nervous just being in Brooklyn.  
  
"Soah Blink, dat sounds like a good idea ta me," Jack replied slapping Blink on the back.  
  
So the three boys and Trouble headed back to Manhattan, unaware of the fact that they were being followed the whole way by a person that two of them would like to forget. 


	3. Chapter 3: Meeting the Jacobs

Eye of the Storm by pixiedust Chapter 3  
  
I just want to dedicate every "youse" that is used in my story from now on to my reading teacher Mr. Menzies, who has taught me so much in the 2 years I've had him as a teacher- and you should always listen to his advice (ya right!) or you might turn out to be the only male teacher in a private catholic school (except im a girl so I don't really have to worry about that now do I?) and wanna thank him for all the free ice cream he gave us from his ice cream truck! (ya thats right, my teacher is also an ice cream man!)  
  
When the foursome got back to the Lodging House there were visitors waiting for them. "What are youse guys doin' heah? I thought dat youse was back in school," as surprised Race said to David, Les, and Sarah. "Troub, dis is the Jacobs. David was Jack's pahtna durin' the strike we was tellin' youse about, dat his lil' bruddah Les, and his sistah Sarah, whose Jack's goil," Kid Blink explained to Trouble, who then looked at Sarah with one eyebrow raised, studying her. Mush, seeing the confused look on the Jacobs' faces said, "Dis is Trouble, she juss came back frum I dunno whe'ah. She was gone durin' da Strike."  
  
"Oh. Its very nice to meet you," Sarah said to Trouble in a sugary-sweet voice that made Trouble want to cringe and cover her ears. She nodded in the general direction of Sarah and David and then squatted in front of Les.  
  
"Hey theah kid. How old are youse?"  
  
"10," he replied  
  
"Lemme guess, Jack tole' ya ta say youse seven, right?"  
  
"Yeah, how'd you know?"  
  
"Tole me da same ting when I turned 10. 'Cept I had been doin' it fa yeahs."  
  
"Where is Jack?" Sarah asked Blink, growing bored of listening to Trouble and Les' conversation.  
  
"He's still ovah in Brooklyn catchin' up wid Spot," Blink replied and then went to join a poker game that was just starting. A half hour later and Jack burst into the room.  
  
"Jack!" Sarah exclaimed, crossing the room and kissed Jack.  
  
Over in the other corner of the room Trouble, Mush, Blink, Race, and Boots were sitting and talking.  
  
"So what's wit da broad? She don't seem like Jacks type. He's like Spot. Dey go fa someone easiah. An' dat goil don't seem like she's gonna give Jack what he wants," Trouble asked the boys  
  
"Well," Race replied smiling, "You would know what ol' Spot wanted now wouldn't you? So I guess youse could tell Sarah what Jack wants, huh?" Race's comment lead to Trouble, who had an extremely short temper, pushing him off his chair. Jack, Sarah, David, Les, and the other newsies looked over at them questioningly. Trouble smiled sweetly at them.  
  
"I didn't do anythin'."  
  
"Soah ya didn't," Race said as he stood up and pushed her off of her chair.  
  
"Hey! Wadja do that foah?" she asked, slapping him in the head with the back of her hand. The two continued "fighting" until Blink and Mush broke them apart so that they could start a poker game.  
  
*~*~ Cerri~ thanks so much for being my first reviewer ever!! Thanks for your suggestions.im going to work them in from now on! 


	4. Chapter 4: Uh Oh!

The Eye of the Storm by pixiedust  
  
Chapter 4  
  
The next morning Trouble woke up excited. Her friend would be there the next morning and she still had to tell the rest of the boys and prepare them for her. They would need a LOT of preparing for the girl that was coming. She had a temper almost as bad as Trouble's, had a smart mouth, and was very independent. Trouble knew that the boys would like her once they got to know her, though and she knew that she would also like them.  
  
Trouble headed out to sell her papes and was happy to find that the headlines were not all that bad. She sold with Blink and the two of them spent the day talking about old times and Trouble told him all about her friend that was coming.  
  
They finished selling pretty fast and were just hanging out in Central Park when they decided to head back to the Lodging House. They were almost there when suddenly they were pulled into an alley. They turned to see their biggest fear-their fathers! The two men advanced on the Blink and Trouble.  
  
"Youse thought dat youse would get away wid runnin' off like dat, didn't youse?" Trouble father said as he slapped her in the face.  
  
"Youse thought dat youse could make fools o' us but youse were wrong," Blink's father said and he slammed Blink against the wall. As Blink slid down the wall, his father continued punching and kicking him. Meanwhile, Trouble was not faring any better. She was soon unconscious and noticing this her father went over to Kid Blink and his father. Blink who had lost all his strength and had collapsed making it look like he also was unconscious. The two men, having completed their mission, quickly left the alley to avoid any further suspicion, leaving the two broken and beaten newsies lying on the ground.  
  
~*~  
  
Cerri~ hey!  
  
KatFightOnSkis~ thanks for reviewing!  
  
~*~  
  
Sorry its such a short chapter.figured it would be an interesting stopping point. another chapter will be up very soon!  
  
~*pixiedust*~ 


	5. Chapter 5: Explantions

The Eye of the Storm by pixiedust  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Blink had managed to stay semi-conscious and as soon as the two fathers were a safe distance away, he picked up Trouble and carried her back to the Lodging House, where almost all of the newsies had gathered. He managed to walk through the door before he suddenly collapsed. The other boys quickly brought the two up to the bunkroom to take care of them. They both regained consciousness around the same time and the others bombarded them with questions.  
  
"Who da hell did dis ta youse two?" Jack asked, after telling the rest of the boys to "shut ya traps." Trouble refused to look him in the eye, just sat on her bunk and sat staring at the wall above the boys' heads  
  
"It was our faddahs," Blink said  
  
"Youse twos faddahs a' still around?" Jack asked them  
  
"Yeah, guess so," Blink answered with a shrug of his shoulders.  
  
"What kind a' faddahs do dat ta dere kids?" David, who was there, asked.  
  
"A lot a' faddahs. An' it ain't nothin da two of us nevah experienced before," Trouble said with a scowl.  
  
"Whatcha mean Troub?" Jack asked her, concerned.  
  
"When we was lil we lived in da same apahtment buildin' an our parents was friends. Both a' our mommas died around da same time when Blink was 6 an' I was about 5. So our daddies didn't wanna both pay fer apahtments, so Blink an' his daddy moved in wid me an' my daddy, which me an' Blink didn't like cuz we didn't like each oddah. So maybe a month or so aftah dey moved in, our daddies started beatin' us. Dey was awlways drunk an' we was nevah safe, so we tried to avoid dem as much as we could. Dats how we became friends. Den one night his daddy trew a bottle at his head. It missed an' hit da wall, but it cut him 'round his eye. Dats why he weahs da patch. Da next day he decides ta run away. So I was left wid both of our daddies an' finally 'bout two months aftah he ran away, he decided ta come an' get me. An' now we'ah heah," Trouble said, then fell silent again.  
  
"Man," Mush said looking at his two friends  
  
"Jack," Trouble said  
  
"Yea, Troub?"  
  
"Can youse tell da boys wah I tole ya?" she asked as she went into the washroom.  
  
"Soah whatevah ya want."  
  
"Whah ya gonna tell us Jacky-boy?" Race asked elbowing Jack in the ribs.  
  
"One a' Troub's friends frum whea evah she was is comin' out heah ta live wid us," he replied  
  
"Why?" Snipeshooter asked  
  
"Cuz she ain't got no family," Blink said  
  
"When's she comin'?" asked Crutchy  
  
"Tamorra'," Jack said.  
  
"Whah?!" exclaimed Race  
  
"Dats so soon!" Boots cried and the other boys nodded their heads in agreement.  
  
"I know, but Troub made me promise not ta tell," said Jack  
  
"An' I juss found out taday," Blink said  
  
"Whah's her name?" asked Mush  
  
"I dunno," Blink and Jack said at the same time  
  
"Liz." The boys all turned to see Trouble leaning against the doorway to the washroom.  
  
"Actually, her real name is Francesca Elizabeth Taylor, but if you call her dat she will kill ya," she said with a smirk. "An, sorry 'bout not tellin' ya sooner."  
  
~*~  
  
Thanks for everyone who reviewed!!  
  
Sorry it took me so long to update!  
  
~*~pixiedust~*~ 


	6. Chapter 6: Liz

The Eye of the Storm by pixiedust  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Disclaimer: Francesca/Liz does not belong to me. She belongs to Lolipop.  
  
The next day Trouble, Jack, Blink, and Mush left after selling their papes to go pick Francesca up at the train station. They were waiting for about 10 minutes before the train pulled into the station. Then a tall, skinny girl with long, wavy, black hair and tanned skin stepped off the train. Trouble caught sight of her and called out to her, "Liz! Ova heah!" The girl hurried over to the group and gave Trouble a big hug.  
  
"Oh my God! Its so good to see you again!" she exclaimed  
  
"I know!" Trouble squealed and for the next five minutes the two were talking a mile a minute catching up while the three boys just stared at them. Finally they stopped talking for a second and Jack took this opportunity to say, "Aren't ya gonna intraduce us ta ya friend Troub?"  
  
"Oh sorry! Guys dis is me friend Liz. Liz dis is Jack Kelly, da leadah of da Manhattan newsies. Next ta him is Racetrack Higgins, but ya can cawl him Race, den its Kid Blink, and Mush," Trouble introduced her old friends to her new friend.  
  
"So whea youse frum?" Jack asked Liz as they headed back to the Lodging House to drop off her things then headed to Tibby's.  
  
"Near Santa Fe," she replied looking over at him. 'He's kinda cute,' she thought.  
  
"Really? I wanna go ta Santa Fe someday."  
  
"You do? Why? I would rather live here any day," Liz said  
  
"Heah we are, home sweet home," Trouble said interrupting their conversation as she gestured towards the Lodging House. They dropped her stuff on an empty bunk and headed to Tibby's. Jack and Liz continued their conversation while Trouble was forced to listen to Blink, Race, and Mush complain about how hungry they were.  
  
"Will youse tree shaddup?" Trouble finally exclaimed, tired of listening to them.  
  
"Fine," they mumbled, pretending to be insulted. Then they finally reached Tibby's.  
  
"Heya fellas! I want ya ta meet me friend Liz. Liz di is da rest a' da fellas. Boots, Snoddy, Dutchy, Skittery, Pie-Eater, Specs, Itey, Snipeshooter, Swifty, Snitch, Jake," Trouble continued to introduce the boys. Then the Jacobs walked in.  
  
"Dats Dave, Les, an' dey're sistah Sarah, Jack's goil," Race said to Liz as they all sat down to eat. Two days later as the newsies gathered in Tibby's a familiar face strolled in. "Spot. What a surprise," Trouble said as the smirking boy slid into the booth across from her. "Listen doll I juss wanted ta say dat I'se sorry fa da way dat I'se been treatin youse," Spot said  
  
"Soah Spot, no sweat. Anyway, dis is me friend Liz. She ain't gots a newsie name yet," Trouble said  
  
"Hey," Liz said and offered her hand to Spot. He quickly spit in his and shook hers.  
  
~*~  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed.so sorry I haven't been updating lately.but school sucks.just had a big project then finals are coming up.yikes.then graduation.then I'll be free till Sept. and I have to enter he dangerous world of high school.poor me!! Anyways. I'll try updating more often!! Sorry its so short!  
  
~*~pixiedust~*~ 


	7. Chapter 7: Drunk

The Eye of the Storm by pixiedust  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Over the next couple of days there was not much activity around the Lodging House. One night Mush and Trouble were sitting on the fire escape talking when Race, Liz, and Blink invited them to go with them to a nearby bar.  
  
"Soah," Mush said, and then climbed through the window pulling Trouble behind him.  
  
"Ya know, youse still need a newsie name," Trouble remarked to Liz as they were walking to the bar.  
  
"Yea," Race said, "if youse is anytin' like Troub heah is when she's drunk, we'se can give ya da oddah nickname we woulda' gived her, if she was oldah when she came."  
  
"Really an' what's that?" Liz asked curiously.  
  
"Flirt," Mush said laughing at the glare that Trouble shot at him.  
  
"Why, what does she do when she is drunk?" she asked  
  
"She flirts wid any guy around her. Its hilarious!" Race exclaimed laughing.  
  
"Haha, okay we'se can awll stop laughin' at me now," Trouble said as she smacked Race and then Mush who was still laughing. Then they reached the bar and went in.  
  
Three hours later. "Okay time ta go home now guys," Mush said as he pulled Blink and Race off of the stools that they were sitting on, drooling over the girls that were performing.  
  
"Aw come on, can't we'se stay a lil' bit longah," Race said, his words slurring together, as he slung his arm around Mush. "I mean, look at does goils Mushy. Couldn't ya juss stare at 'em awll day long? An' den have some fun at night?" he continued winking at Mush.  
  
"Naw, I'se could live widout 'em," Mush said  
  
"Aw, juss cuz youse in love wid Troub don't mean ya hafta ruin our fun," Blink complained  
  
"I ain't in love wid Troub!" Mush protested quickly, a little to quickly though, and Race turned to Blink and stuck out his hand.  
  
"Pay up. I tole ya dat he was." Blink groaned and pulled out the money. Mush scowled at them and went off to find the girls.  
  
He found them standing near the door giggling. He could tell that they were also drunk. 'Great,' he thought, 'Me an' Blink is da only sobah ones. We'se a' gonna hafta drag 'em awll home.'  
  
"Heya Mush," Trouble said still giggling as she spotted him.  
  
"Hey Troub, Liz. We'se goin' home now," he said  
  
"Why?" Trouble whined. She was having too much fun, why did they have to leave now?  
  
"Cuz Jacky-boy'll kill us if we'se get back too late. He's already gonna be mad dat youse two an' Race a' drunk."  
  
"We ain't drunk, juss a lil tipsy," Liz said as she almost fell over.  
  
"Soah, wha'evah youse say," Mush said. Then he felt arms slip around his waist and quickly turned to see Trouble looking up at him seductively.  
  
"Well, well, well," Blink said as he and Race reached Mush and the girls, "What's goin on ovah heah?"  
  
"Nothin," Mush said as he pulled Trouble off, despite her protests.  
  
"Aw, what's da mattah, Mush? Ain't youse havin' fun?" she asked pouting.  
  
"I would be, but youse drunk."  
  
"So?" Trouble asked as she smiled alluringly at him, and when he made no move towards her she began to pout again. Blink shook his head at Mush, laughing, as he pulled Liz and Race out of the bar. Mush sighed and pushed Trouble out the door and they followed Blink home.  
  
~*~  
  
So sorry for the delay ~ finals suck!  
  
~*~pixiedust~*~ 


End file.
